The present invention relates to a system for producing sausage-shaped products, in particular, sausages, according to the preamble of claim 1 as well as to a method for controlling the system according to the preamble of claim 8.
In particular, the present invention relates to a system for producing sausage-shaped products, in particular sausages, comprising a filling machine for filling a tubular casing with viscous or granular stuff, in particular sausage meat, a clipping machine for dividing the filled tubular casing into sausage-shaped products and closing the sausage-shaped products by closing means like clips, and a transportation device for discharging the sausage-shaped products out of the clipping machine and transporting the sausage-shaped products along a transport path for storing them on rod-like elements, in particular smoking rods, being positioned in an automatic hanging line for accommodating the rod-like elements, wherein the transport path extends from the clipping machine to the distal end of said smoking rod. The method comprises the steps of providing a tubular casing, filling said tubular casing with viscous or granular stuff, in particular sausage meat, dividing the filled tubular casing into sausage-shaped products and closing the sausage-shaped products by closing means, like clips, in a clipping machine, and discharging at least one sausage-shaped product out of the clipping machine by a transportation device and transporting the sausage-shaped products along a transport path for storing them on rod-like elements, in particular smoking rods, being positioned in an automatic hanging line for accommodating the rod-like elements, wherein the transport path extends from the clipping machine to the distal end of said smoking rod.
From patent application DE 10 2005 044 877, a device and a method for producing sausage-shaped products, for instance sausages, are already known, wherein a filling tube is provided for feeding a packing material or tubular casing, respectively, with, for example, sausage meat wherein the tubular casing is closed at one end facing in the filling direction by a first clip. After the filling operation is concluded, the tube-like casing is finally closed. If the sausage-shaped product is later to be hung up, for example for the purposes of smoking or storage in case of sausages, a suspension loop is fed thereto in such a way that, when the clip is fitted, it is embraced by the clip and is thus secured to the sausage-shaped product. The term “loops” in accordance with this invention is used to denote all at least partially flexible means, by way of which articles can be hung up.
Furthermore, to produce sausage-shaped products of equal length, in the German patent 195 19 394, a method and a device for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, is disclosed, wherein the tube-like casing material is provided with marks, like pictures or labels in predetermined regular intervals according to the length of the sausage-shaped product to be produced. Said marks are detected by a respective sensor, which controls the clipping machine. Sausage-shaped products are fed out of the clipping machine by a first transportation device, like a belt-conveyor. An additional conveyor, arranged subsequently to the first band-conveyor, includes a weighing cell for sensing the weight of the sausage-shaped product. The sensor of the weighing cell is coupled to the casing breaking device. In the case that the weight of the sausage-shaped product falls under a predetermined value, breaking force of the casing breaking device will be increased, whereby more filling material, like sausage meat, is filled into the casing material. Since the length of the sausage-shaped product remains equal, its weight increases. In case that the weight of a sausage-shaped product is higher than a predetermined value, the breaking force of the casing breaking device is lowered and the weight of the subsequent sausage product will decrease.
In the production of sausage-shaped products, sausage producing machines as described above may be part of a system, wherein an automatic hanging line is directly attached to the sausage producing machine. Sausage-shaped products fed out of the clipping machine are automatically caught by their suspension loop and hung up on rod-like elements, like smoking rods. Said systems are of high productivity, which is normally reached by a high production rate. Accordingly, a conveyor including a weighing device has to be operated at a high speed, which may lead to an imprecise weighing result. On the other hand, the conveyor including the weighing device is an additional device in the sausage production system. The conveyor needs to be of a maximum length according to the length of the largest sausage product, which may be produced at the sausage producing machine. Otherwise, the length of the sausages which can be produced is limited by the length of the conveyor.